Five Standout Art-Inspired Activation Strategies

Art-inspired activation strategies can be seen as works of art, but for event marketers who know how to harness the power of art-inspired experiences, the concept takes on a literal meaning. From analog installations to tech-fueled engagements, art-based events pack a powerful punch, inspiring creativity among attendees and helping to cement the experience in their memories. Here’s a closer look at five brands that recently activated successful art-inspired activation strategies.

Adobe
Adobe juxtaposed the natural beauty of some of the world’s most delicate landscapes with the urban climate of Los Angeles’ Arts District through an immersive art installation fueled by its Passport to Creativity campaign. The art-inspired activation featured the artwork of six college students who were enlisted by the brand to capture the sights and sounds of conservation spaces in Chile, Kenya and Australia using the tools available in Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Following the students’ global excursions, Adobe pared down the content for the art-inspired activation in L.A., where attendees could step inside three 24-foot long tunnels that showcased the students’ work via 4K projection mapping and ambient sound.

HP
HP is renowned for its bleeding-edge tech experiences, but for its art-inspired activation at the Panorama music festival, the brand combined its technology with art to create a truly mind-bending experience. HP enlisted nine different artists who leveraged the brand’s array of tech tools to create seven trippy art installations that transported festivalgoers to another world. As engadget writer Cherlynn Low put it, “It was a blazing hot summer’s day, but inside a pitch black room in HP’s ‘The Lab’ at the Panorama music festival in New York, I got the chills. I was experiencing Right Passage, one of seven art installations hosted at a gallery set up by the company, which sponsored the festival. Right Passage was by far my favorite—it’s a spectacle that captured my imagination without inundating me with the ‘tech’ of it all.” And considering the experience earned an average dwell time of 56 minutes, it’s safe to say the activation was a resounding success.

Maestro Dobel Tequila
For Maestro Dobel Tequila, live art was the force behind its well-received Lollapalooza sponsorship activation. The spirits brand’s “perfect blend of artistry and mastery” messaging was brought to life via two artists, who worked side-by-side to create artwork that brought to life a blend of their respective styles. Four pieces were ultimately produced by two sets of artist duos on eight-foot by 10-foot canvases right before attendees’ eyes. The best part? All of the artwork showcased the artists’ interpretation of the brand.

Hulu
To celebrate the premiere of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a series based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel, Hulu partnered with a pair of graphic artists who helped build an interactive public art installation in New York City. The installation, which included an ominous red and black color scheme, took the shape of handmaid silhouettes and featured hanging light fixtures resembling the white hats the title characters wear in the series. But it wasn’t just cool to look at. The artwork also offered 4,000 free copies of Atwood’s paperback novel. As passersby snagged the books, the art-inspired installation was deconstructed to reveal messages of female empowerment and anti-authoritarian resistance, paying homage to the show’s dystopian themes.

Google
As part of Google I/O, Google and Sparks created and produced I/O After Hours, a series of art-inspired activations which focused on the integration of art and technology experiences to create an immersive, festive party. After Hours: Planetarium features the psychedelic musical stylings of San Francisco’s own “The Loyal Scam” as the Chrome Music Lab team showcases their newest audio-reactive technology: Spectrogram. After Hours: Tilt Brush Throwback allowed attendees to experience live Tilt Brush art performances and Visual Art Sessions in a relaxing lounge featuring old school jams. After Hours: Art House focused on the art of coding with the immersive work “Re:Coded” by the School of Poetic Computation, an artist run school and research group in New York that works closely to explore the dialogue between code, design, hardware, and theory. Attendees were also able to collaborate on large-scale works of art such as the ASCII Mural and get up close and personal with Burning Man art cars.

Fact is, art offers an array of mental health benefits for every kind of attendee. It can relieve stress, stimulate the brain and even prevent memory loss. When you incorporate those benefits into the context of a live event, it all adds up to a satisfying and genuinely engaging art-inspired experience. And that’s what this biz is all about.

Check out more brand activations designed and produced by Sparks here.